1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to guides for surgical cutting instruments. More specifically, this invention relates to guides for surgical cutting instruments having particular and unique utility for permitting accurately placed cuts or resections in anatomical structure, such as bone, where such cuts or resections are desired to be inclined with respect to some reference plane or line. Such inclined cuts or resections are required, for example, in a surgical procedure for implanting a knee prosthetic joint, where, to minimize shearing forces on the tibial component/tibia interface, the proximal tibial resection plane should be inclined posterialy at approximately 5.degree. to 15.degree. to the general axis of the tibia.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many and varied guides which are known in the prior art for producing a cut or resection in an anatomical structure inclined relative to some reference plane or line. However, prior art guides have been found to be inconvenient to use intraoperatively by surgeons thus often resulting in the accuracy of the inclined surgical cut or resection to be less than that desired or required. Further, the prior art is devoid of surgical resection guides which provide for the establishment and maintenance of proper ligamentous tension between joint members during the cutting or resectioning procedures. As a result, resectioning incidental to the preparation of joints for prosthetic implant has been less than satisfactory because of inability to provide for proper ligamentous tension and therewith proper prosthetic placement and operation.